I really think it is about time they put out the tram operation to tender - the present operators, Trans Adelaide (government operator), do a shocking job of operating the small system. The trams seem to be totally unkempt being dirty inside and out, with ugly faded/mat adverts covering most trams, including windows, the paint that is shown is often faded; it is really a pathetic effort.

Key Publications have recently put out a magazine, which shows all the Light Rail systems in the UK and one system in particular is worth mentioning and that is The Midlands (or Birmingham) where they do take pride in vehicle presentation inside and out - something that is sadly lacking in Adelaide.

So really it does not surprise me that they are slow to test and bring into service these new extensions - I think they simply don't give a s**t and it shows!!!

Another "new"(second hand from Madrid )entered service this afternoon. This leaves 209 as the only tram yet. to enter service.Stephan Knoll said this morning that driver training has begun and he expects services to be up and running by the end of this month.

The service pattern is not quite what I expected, with all services from Glenelg cut back to the RAH.

So weekdays during the day, on a nice clock pattern6 services an hour from Glenelg to the RAH and return6 services an hour from the Botanic Gardens to the Entertainment Centre and return

and on weekends again on a nice clock pattern so easy to remember3 services an hour from Glenelg to the RAH and return3 services an hour from Glenelg to Festival Centre and return3 services an hour from the Botanic Gardens to the Entertainment Centre and return

softgrow wrote:The service pattern is not quite what I expected, with all services from Glenelg cut back to the RAH.

Not quite. There are still a number of services that go the full length (4 of the 1st 8 Mon-Fri services for example). Nice to see that the Festival stop is being used every weekend regardless on if there is an event on or not.

Having a tram stop at each of the stops between RAH and ARS every 3-4 minutes in peak will be interesting.

I wonder how long this poorly designed weekend timetable will last? There will now only be a tram every 20 minutes from RAH & Adelaide Station into the City Centre & beyond & in the evening it is even worse at 40 minute intervals.

There is a daytime tram every 10 minutes (20 evenings) from the Entertainment Centre to Botanic Gardens & a 20 minute (40 evenings) frequency service from Festival Plaza to the City Centre beyond but no interchange available between these two services.

Apart from when events are on the weekend service to Festival Plaza seems pointless & may just carry a lot of fresh air. It would be better to keep the existing frequency from Glenelg to RAH as will still be the case on weekdays.

softgrow wrote:and on weekends again on a nice clock pattern so easy to remember3 services an hour from Glenelg to the RAH and return3 services an hour from Glenelg to Festival Centre and return3 services an hour from the Botanic Gardens to the Entertainment Centre and return

Slight correction, 6 services an hour from the Botanic Gardens to the Entertainment Centre and return

So, the short tram line extension to the Festival Theatre is only going to operate at weekends and (maybe) additionally for "big" events at the Adelaide Oval.

Well, this really does prove the total folly of the erstwhile Labor Government - this is a very expensive little spur to nowhere; it could, at the very least, have been extended to the the Oval, if not (and even better) through to, just past, the Piccadilly Cinema in North Adelaide. As it is, this extension and thus part of junction works at KW St and Nth Ter. have been a scandalous waste of tax payers money, especially now that the Libs. have advised that further tram extensions are dead!!!

Tim Williams wrote: especially now that the Libs. have advised that further tram extensions are dead!!!

Where have they said that they're winding back on their election promises (which include extending this branch up to the top of North Adelaide)? Have I missed something? Or do you mean that Labor's proposed suburban lines are dead, with a central area feeder network to be built instead - which is what Liberals said prior to the election.

It's quite common to build a line in stages and I'd see this stub as a starter stage so that they don't have to interfere with that big junction when they're ready to extend further. I agree that it would have been nice to have gone a little further north in the first stage, but perhaps the budget didn't extend to that.

I believe that the extension to North Adelaide (basically to the northern end of O'Connell St) would be a very worthwhile extension - hope it happens and soon.However I did read somewhere, probably in the Adelaide Advertiser, that all further tram extensions were dead, under the Libs!

Below is an article from the Adelaide Advertiser today - the previous state Labor government kept delaying this project (despite having paid the contractors an additional $10m to speed things up) - that plus the stop-start electrification of the relatively small suburban rail network really displayed to the outside world how to take incompetence to new levels!!

A TROUBLE-PLAGUED extension of the tram along North Tce has been hit with a new delay, as the State Government flies experts in from Germany to examine a mystery fault.Transport Minister Stephan Knoll on Monday announced that plans to open the new tram line to passengers on Sunday had been put on hold and would be delayed at least a week.The Government is unable to say when the project will be complete.Mr Knoll said driver testing had uncovered a signal fault, meaning electrical communication between the tram and track was not working as required. The primary cause was unknown.He said experts from Germany were being brought to Adelaide to examine the problem, which was first detected last Tuesday as part of late night trials conducted by drivers.Mr Knoll said the project, started by Labor, had been trouble-plagued from its inception and was far from completion when the new government took over at the March election. “This is a very frustrating development,” he said. “The State Government would like to apologise for the inconvenience, uncertainty and delays this project has caused.“Every effort is being made to fix this problem and get passenger services up and running.”The project extends the current line east along North Tce to the old RAH site.Mr Knoll said the Government remained committed to adding a right turn from King William St to North Tce, a project he said was separate from the current extension to the old RAH.

With the upgrades in the past year or so to include the voice from hell that is audible on the trains, along with 'please hold on' every time the trams leaves a stop, we'll certainly see a rapid increase in patronage.

It is great news that tram testing on the new extension has recommenced . Lets hope regular services start running soon . Hopefully once regular services commence this will stop some of the whingers complaining about the tram line extension .